No one likes to see a giant, stinging wasp in their garden. Here’s how to get rid of great golden digger wasp from your yard and why it may not be necessary to take such drastic steps.
The great golden wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) is a digger wasp that loves to hunt grasshoppers, cicadas, katydids, and other garden pests.
Even though gardeners see this wasp as a beneficial insect, not everyone wants to see a huge wasp in their garden.
In this article, we show you how to find out if this is the wasp inhabiting your yard and how you can get rid of it if the need arises.
What is This Bug?
The great golden digger wasp belongs to the family Sphecidae (thread-waisted wasps). It is not a social wasp and loves to create its own separate, underground nest.
There are 9,660 wasp species of digger wasps defined under this family. They are easy to identify because they all have thread-like waists.
This bug is easily identifiable because of the tiny golden-colored hair on its head, which is also where it gets its name from.
Great golden digger wasps are native to the west, existing all the way from Canada to North America, Central America, and South America. They have also spread to the Caribbean.
They are known to prey on grasshoppers, katydids, cicadas, locusts, and other members of the Orthoptera family to feed their larvae.
You can watch them in action in fields, parks, and gardens. They love sunny weather and dig their nests in clay or sandy soil. Adult wasps only feed on flower nectar.
What Does it Look Like?
Great golden’s have beautiful, tiny hairs on their head and abdomen. They also have orange or reddish-colored legs and typically grow up to be about one inch long.
The female digger wasps can usually grow larger than the males.
These wasps live all throughout the summer months (from May to august). Their black heads and thread-waisted black bodies are covered by their large wings.
The wings are amber in color, and great golden wasps are a sight to behold when flying. They make rustling noises when in the air.
Where Do Digger Wasps Live?
These wasps are diggers; they dig their nests in the ground rather than hanging them on the roof or a tree branch.
Moreover, great golden wasps are solitary, so they don’t have to make a large colony or a big nest. Adults can be found near flowery plants and don’t live in a nest at all.
When the time comes to lay eggs, the female is responsible for making the nests. She makes her nest most often in open fields rather than in grassy areas.
She digs by cutting the clay or sand with her mandibles. The wasp then carries the soil between her forelegs for about one inch back and throws it away. Her front legs include spiny brushes, which make them perfect for carrying the sand.
The tunnel is narrow and cylindrical, about half an inch in diameter. The nest itself can be as deep as 11 inches deep.
Sometimes, it might be even deeper because digger wasps cannot stand very high temperatures. Deeper tunnels are cooler for larvae. Also, having a lower temperature is conducive for the eggs to hatch.
Once she digs the main tunnel, she also creates a network of secondary tunnels, each one ending in an individual chamber.
Each chamber will be the hatchery for one single egg. After it is completed, the wasp fills up the tunnel entrance with a little bit of soil from around.
She then heads out to hunt for prey for her larvae.
Are They Harmful To Humans?
The great golden wasp is not harmful to humans. It does have a stinger, but it is used primarily to fight cicadas and locusts, not against us.
The adult female has venom in her body, but this is also quite low and will not work on humans. Let’s understand all this in more detail.
Can it sting?
Yes, the great golden digger wasp can deliver a pretty painful sting. However, you must remember that the wasp has no intention of stinging you.
Unlike other aggressive wasps, great golden wasps do not like to sting humans. They prefer to stay away from us.
Is it Venomous or Poisonous?
Yes, they are venomous, but the venom is meant for their prey. They use their stingers to inject venom into the prey, which usually leaves them paralyzed (though not dead).
These insects then become food for the larvae of the great golden wasp. The wasp carries the poor insect back to her nest after laying its egg on it.
Is it Aggressive?
No, the great golden wasp is not aggressive. It does not have any reason for being aggressive. It’s a solitary wasp and does not have a nest to defend.
The only time you would find the wasp stinging you is if you step on it or else try to touch it in some way.
Do you Need To Kill Digger Wasps?
There is no real need to go after these beautiful wasps. They aren’t aggressive, and while their bite stings like hell, it’s not lethal or anything.
Typically, unless you try to get too close to them, the great golden digger wasps will not even attempt to fly near you.
Moreover, these guys are actually of great help to the gardener because they finish off locusts and cicadas, etc., quite quickly. These pests tend to eat plant leaves and defoliate them.
What Kills Ground Digger Wasps?
Despite the fact that the great golden wasp isn’t really a threat, you might not want to see giant wasps buzzing around your yard or garden. This is especially true if you have children or pets and you don’t want to take any risks.
We have listed below answers to some questions about what does or does not kill these wasps. But first, you must understand how to find their nest so that you can use these repellants.
How To Find a Digger Wasp Nest?
If you have a bald patch of ground in your yard or garden, the first place to look for it is there. Digger wasps don’t like to make nests in grassy areas since the grass might end up covering the nest itself.
Look for small, ½-inch diameter-sized holes in the ground. The hole might be covered up, so look for a small pile of soil near it. It might look a bit like a small volcano or an ant hill.
If you find a wasp nest, do not go near it. That’s the easiest way to get stung! Use the techniques we have shared below.
Will Vinegar Kill Digger Wasps?
It might not kill them, but vinegar is an excellent way to repel all types of digger wasps, including the great golden ones.
You can make a little DIY wasp repellant by adding vinegar with water in equal parts and then also adding about two cups of sugar to the solution.
The combined mixture needs to be thoroughly stirred before you can put it near the nest of the wasp. The odor from the vinegar is sure to repel them.
Will Ammonia Kill Digger Wasps?
Ammonia is perhaps one of the most common ways to get rid of digger wasps. You can get ammonia from your nearby hardware store.
Wait for nighttime before approaching a wasp nest because wasps are typically inactive at that time. Cover your arms and legs, and then pour ammonia into the opening of the nest.
Try to cover the hole with a bit of soil and quickly leave the area. The ammonia will kill the wasp larva inside. Keep repeating this every few days until you are sure no new nests are being formed.
Can Neem Oil Kill Digger Wasps?
Neem oil contains the chemical Azadirachtin. This chemical is a natural insect repellant and is useful for removing many types of bugs, including digger wasps.
This chemical acts by destabilizing the hormones of the pest and then reducing its feeding and other activities. Over time, the insect will die when it comes in contact with neem oil many times.
You can spray neem oil near the wasp nest at night. Do it every day for about a week to see results. You can also dissolve it in boiling water and pour it down their nest.
Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Digger Wasps?
Yes, Diatomaceous earth is another good wasp killer. It contains the chemical silicon dioxide in the amorphous state. This chemical is a common ingredient in many insecticides.
DE is nontoxic and non-poisonous to humans. It is very safe to use. Just pour the powder around the spider nests and check for new nests every few days.
Will Soapy Water Kill Digger Wasps?
Yes, soapy water does work on wasps. It will repel them like anything. Just create a solution of dish wash and water and pour it down the nest at night. The poor wasp will not be able to survive for long.
Here’s a very humorous take on this method of attacking wasps.
Will Boric Acid Kill Digger Wasps?
Yes, boric acid works just like vinegar on digger wasps. In fact, it is able to kill the larvae as well as the adults of the species.
Poor the acid down the nest at night time and retreat to a safe distance. Then observe the number of wasps each day and keep pouring boric acid every night. Over time, all the wasps will be killed.
How To Get Rid of Digger Wasps Naturally?
Now that we have talked about some of the harsher methods of getting rid of these poor creatures, here are a few things to keep in mind which will ensure that they won’t come back.
Pour water into your garden regularly. Muddy soil is not where digger wasps like to make their nests. Their larvae can drown in muddy soil.
Don’t leave bald spots in your garden. Bald spots attract digger wasps like anything since they are perfect for making nests. Pour some grass seeds and water them every day to cover up your garden’s bald spots.
Mulch your garden bed. If you do this till about 3-4 inches, it will stop the wasps from digging.
Put some gravel on your lawn (a very fine layer). Gravel prevents digger wasps from being able to dig their holes, keeping your yard safe.
Wasps love to eat cicadas, katydids, and grasshoppers. If you keep their food source away from your garden, digger wasps will have no reason to come there.
Wrap Up
We want to once again put this out there – you don’t need to get rid of the great golden digger wasp. This is a beneficial, non-aggressive insect that helps keep your garden free of pests.
If you still feel that its sting might be a risk to you or your family, you can use the various methods we pointed out, including vinegar, boric acid, soap water, and neem oil. Thank you for reading!
Reader Emails
The great golden digger wasps are quite extraordinarily large, so it is no surprise that people are afraid of them.
Here are some letters from our readers inquiring with us about this wasp and what to do about it.
Letter 1 – Great Golden Digger Wasp and Katydid
Orange-legged burrowing monstrosity
Dear Bugman:
In the process of snapping pics of one insect I’m curious about, I seem to have captured some sort of inter-species showdown. Several of these large (~4 cm long) yellow-and-orange specimens have suddenly appeared in the garden, and are industriously burrowing sizable holes in the ground beneath a layer of wood-chip mulch. They are capable of moving pea-sized pieces of gravel, and in the span of a few hours have already dug a network of finger-diameter holes over a couple of square feet (see photo). So… (a)… what the heck are they, and (b)… what is going on in the first two photos? I was so intent on catching the digger-insects that I honestly did not even see the big green interloper. Is this a battle to the death caught on digicam here? Thanks for your site, and hope you can get to this!
Found It I’ve been looking through your site more thoroughly and have ID’d this thing – Sphex ichneumoneus, the Great Golden Digger Wasp. In the act of burying a nice fresh katydid for its maggots – er, babies, no less. Isn’t nature MARVELOUS!? Thank you for your site; this is the kind of thing that would have driven me crazy with curiosity.
Derek Thaczuk
Clarington, Ontario
Hi Derek,
We are thrilled that you found your answer on our site, and we are even more thrilled to have your excellent photo of a Great Golden Digger Wasp dragging a Katydid to its burrow.
Letter 2 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
What Kind of Burrowing Wasp is this?
We have found a number of these wasps burrowing in our yard. From what I can tell they are solitary, and fit the description of the Cidada Killer Wasp, but the colors don’t match the description of such a wasp. Can you tell from the pictures below? They don’t seem to be too aggressive but we have young children, and we’re finding these burrow in their play area, should I be concerned? Thanks,
Steve Clark
Hi Steve,
This poor, dead, Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species.
Daniel,
Thanks so much for your response. I’m afraid the Great Gold Digger Wasp that was pictured, was just a result of our initial panic, I’ll be sure to leave the the others intact. Thanks again,
Steve
Letter 3 – DEAD: Great Golden Digger Wasp
Large Predatory Wasp
Location: Waterford, CT
July 16, 2011 2:44 pm
Hello,
Every year without fail a few large wasps make burrows around our yard and attack anyone who dares walk past. We were under the impression they were cicada killers, so we left them alone up until now. This one burrowed right by the door, and went after me, so we have to kill it to make sure it didn’t go after our 1 year old daughter. To our surprise, it is not a cicada killer, but it is scary. What is it?
Signature: Therese
Dear Therese,
This poor dead creature is a Great Golden Digger Wasp. They prey upon Katydids, which they sting and paralyze. Then the Katydid is dragged to a burrow and buried after an egg is laid upon it. Adult Great Golden Digger Wasps are pollinators. They are a beneficial species and it is our opinion that they should not be killed because of the fear of a potential sting. It is also our opinion that if your one year old daughter managed to let herself out of the door, there are far greater dangers awaiting her in the world than a solitary wasp that is trying to provide for her own brood. Solitary Wasps do not tend to be aggressive, and the chances of being stung by one are not very great.
Letter 4 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Unknown Flying Wasp
Location: Eastern Ontario
July 22, 2011 9:12 pm
Several of these insects are burrowing holes in the sand in our backyard. We seen three of these bugs carrying Angular-Winged Katydid back to their burrows. I killed two of the bugs and took some photos of them. What are they?
Signature: Terry
Hi Terry,
Great Golden Digger Wasps, like the two dead individuals in your photograph, are a beneficial species that pollinates plants as adults, and the larvae feed on Katydids which are provided by a solitary female who digs a burrow that she provisions with paralyzed Katydids to feed her brood. Great Golden Digger Wasps are not an aggressive species. While we concede that the possibility exists that they might sting someone, we have never received a report that anyone has been stung by a Great Golden Digger Wasp. In our opinion, these magnificent wasps have been killed needlessly, so we are tagging this posting as Unnecessary Carnage. Your letter only indicated that the Great Golden Digger Wasps were digging and capturing prey. You never indicated if they threatened you or your family.
Letter 5 – Great Golden Digger Wasp: Dead of unknown causes
Subject: double winged, orange hornet?
Location: Massachusettes, USA
July 19, 2014 12:42 pm
Never seen this thing before. It has an orange body and legs. A yellow head with black eyes, antenae and half of the abdomen as well. The other half is orange. It has two sets of wings and burrows under ground. This one is exactly 25 mm long (one inch). Help identify!!
Signature: Devin
Dear Devin,
This magnificent wasp is a Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus, and we can only presume that it is dead because of Unnecessary Carnage. Great Golden Digger Wasps are solitary wasps and they are not aggressive towards humans. As your email indicates, the female excavates a burrow and she provisions it with Katydids, Crickets and other Orthopterans to feed her brood. This is a beneficial species and it should not be harmed.
Letter 6 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Subject: Pumpkin-Wasp-Bee-Hornet???
Location: Belle River, Ontario, Canada
July 17, 2017 7:58 am
A most unusual hornet looking bug was in the area while I was working and I have no idea as to what it is. The main body was orange and black and legs were orange as well. It would be great to know what this is and possibly where it comes from as I have never seen anything like it in this area.
Thank you.
Signature: Jerome
Dear Jerome,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp is a non-aggressive, solitary wasp found across North America. They are a harmless species. Unless you found it already dead, we are going to have to tag this as Unnecessary Carnage and we hope you will be more tolerant if you have future encounters with Great Golden Digger Wasps.
Letter 7 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Subject: Wasp?
Geographic location of the bug: New Orleans
Date: 08/15/2018
Time: 06:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Found this guy in my apartment, tried to get him to an open window but got spooked when he flew at me. I looked up other wasps in the area but none of them seemed quite right.
How you want your letter signed: Hbb
Dear Hbb,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species, and what you mistook for aggression was likely it desperately trying to get back outside.
Letter 1 – Great Golden Digger Wasp and Katydid
Orange-legged burrowing monstrosity
Dear Bugman:
In the process of snapping pics of one insect I’m curious about, I seem to have captured some sort of inter-species showdown. Several of these large (~4 cm long) yellow-and-orange specimens have suddenly appeared in the garden, and are industriously burrowing sizable holes in the ground beneath a layer of wood-chip mulch. They are capable of moving pea-sized pieces of gravel, and in the span of a few hours have already dug a network of finger-diameter holes over a couple of square feet (see photo). So… (a)… what the heck are they, and (b)… what is going on in the first two photos? I was so intent on catching the digger-insects that I honestly did not even see the big green interloper. Is this a battle to the death caught on digicam here? Thanks for your site, and hope you can get to this!
Found It I’ve been looking through your site more thoroughly and have ID’d this thing – Sphex ichneumoneus, the Great Golden Digger Wasp. In the act of burying a nice fresh katydid for its maggots – er, babies, no less. Isn’t nature MARVELOUS!? Thank you for your site; this is the kind of thing that would have driven me crazy with curiosity.
Derek Thaczuk
Clarington, Ontario
Hi Derek,
We are thrilled that you found your answer on our site, and we are even more thrilled to have your excellent photo of a Great Golden Digger Wasp dragging a Katydid to its burrow.
Letter 2 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
What Kind of Burrowing Wasp is this?
We have found a number of these wasps burrowing in our yard. From what I can tell they are solitary, and fit the description of the Cidada Killer Wasp, but the colors don’t match the description of such a wasp. Can you tell from the pictures below? They don’t seem to be too aggressive but we have young children, and we’re finding these burrow in their play area, should I be concerned? Thanks,
Steve Clark
Hi Steve,
This poor, dead, Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species.
Daniel,
Thanks so much for your response. I’m afraid the Great Gold Digger Wasp that was pictured, was just a result of our initial panic, I’ll be sure to leave the the others intact. Thanks again,
Steve
Letter 3 – DEAD: Great Golden Digger Wasp
Large Predatory Wasp
Location: Waterford, CT
July 16, 2011 2:44 pm
Hello,
Every year without fail a few large wasps make burrows around our yard and attack anyone who dares walk past. We were under the impression they were cicada killers, so we left them alone up until now. This one burrowed right by the door, and went after me, so we have to kill it to make sure it didn’t go after our 1 year old daughter. To our surprise, it is not a cicada killer, but it is scary. What is it?
Signature: Therese
Dear Therese,
This poor dead creature is a Great Golden Digger Wasp. They prey upon Katydids, which they sting and paralyze. Then the Katydid is dragged to a burrow and buried after an egg is laid upon it. Adult Great Golden Digger Wasps are pollinators. They are a beneficial species and it is our opinion that they should not be killed because of the fear of a potential sting. It is also our opinion that if your one year old daughter managed to let herself out of the door, there are far greater dangers awaiting her in the world than a solitary wasp that is trying to provide for her own brood. Solitary Wasps do not tend to be aggressive, and the chances of being stung by one are not very great.
Letter 4 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Unknown Flying Wasp
Location: Eastern Ontario
July 22, 2011 9:12 pm
Several of these insects are burrowing holes in the sand in our backyard. We seen three of these bugs carrying Angular-Winged Katydid back to their burrows. I killed two of the bugs and took some photos of them. What are they?
Signature: Terry
Hi Terry,
Great Golden Digger Wasps, like the two dead individuals in your photograph, are a beneficial species that pollinates plants as adults, and the larvae feed on Katydids which are provided by a solitary female who digs a burrow that she provisions with paralyzed Katydids to feed her brood. Great Golden Digger Wasps are not an aggressive species. While we concede that the possibility exists that they might sting someone, we have never received a report that anyone has been stung by a Great Golden Digger Wasp. In our opinion, these magnificent wasps have been killed needlessly, so we are tagging this posting as Unnecessary Carnage. Your letter only indicated that the Great Golden Digger Wasps were digging and capturing prey. You never indicated if they threatened you or your family.
Letter 5 – Great Golden Digger Wasp: Dead of unknown causes
Subject: double winged, orange hornet?
Location: Massachusettes, USA
July 19, 2014 12:42 pm
Never seen this thing before. It has an orange body and legs. A yellow head with black eyes, antenae and half of the abdomen as well. The other half is orange. It has two sets of wings and burrows under ground. This one is exactly 25 mm long (one inch). Help identify!!
Signature: Devin
Dear Devin,
This magnificent wasp is a Great Golden Digger Wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus, and we can only presume that it is dead because of Unnecessary Carnage. Great Golden Digger Wasps are solitary wasps and they are not aggressive towards humans. As your email indicates, the female excavates a burrow and she provisions it with Katydids, Crickets and other Orthopterans to feed her brood. This is a beneficial species and it should not be harmed.
Letter 6 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Subject: Pumpkin-Wasp-Bee-Hornet???
Location: Belle River, Ontario, Canada
July 17, 2017 7:58 am
A most unusual hornet looking bug was in the area while I was working and I have no idea as to what it is. The main body was orange and black and legs were orange as well. It would be great to know what this is and possibly where it comes from as I have never seen anything like it in this area.
Thank you.
Signature: Jerome
Dear Jerome,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp is a non-aggressive, solitary wasp found across North America. They are a harmless species. Unless you found it already dead, we are going to have to tag this as Unnecessary Carnage and we hope you will be more tolerant if you have future encounters with Great Golden Digger Wasps.
Letter 7 – Great Golden Digger Wasp Carnage
Subject: Wasp?
Geographic location of the bug: New Orleans
Date: 08/15/2018
Time: 06:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Found this guy in my apartment, tried to get him to an open window but got spooked when he flew at me. I looked up other wasps in the area but none of them seemed quite right.
How you want your letter signed: Hbb
Dear Hbb,
The Great Golden Digger Wasp is not an aggressive species, and what you mistook for aggression was likely it desperately trying to get back outside.
It’s nice to see a rational, considered approach to other living things. I do sometimes find the selfishness of people to be staggering – does something deserve to die just because you are scared of it? My general approach to insects and other invertebrates has been a live and let live one coupled with an interest in what they do. Strangely, even though I spent 15 years in the tropics and now live in the UK, I’ve never been overrun by anything and the only times I’ve been stung by anything was when it was my fault. I’ve often fed european wasps lemonade from the tip of my finger and never been stung.
Thanks so much for your perspective Juliet.
Dear What’s That Bug,
I disagree, this is not “unnecessary carnage,” it was necessary, or at least at the time. I do not think the one year old has to be ALONE to get stung, it is possible that this one year old could have been stung while in the arms, or alongside the parent as they exit the door.
I feel as though protecting one’s children become the most important issue, and proper research of the creature should be done as soon as the problem arises, rather than after the child is stung and on the way to the hospital with a possible allergic reaction. Clearly I’m making assumptions but, in my opinion one cannot be too safe. unaggressive astray
I love insects and have a great deal of experience with them, always have, but I feel as though WTB takes much too much offense from the death of any insect, even potentially dangerous ones and should not try to downplay a parent’s protective action. I have seen this before on WTB.
What should have been said was something along the lines of: “We appreciate you protecting your child, and we would like to let you know that we deem katydid killers as beneficial benevolent creatures and in the future should not be killed…. unless of course they become a danger to your child.”
I realize the species at hand (Great Golden Digger Wasp) is not normally aggressive, but I also acknowledge the potential they have at stinging a one year old child.
I’ve had these opinions for awhile as I check WTB regularly, and I thought I should speak up. I don’t think I am the only person that feels this way, as I believe you folks at WTB receive emails from other readers’ in which they voice their similar opinions.
Longtime WTB reader, and supporter of insect AND human life/wellbeing everywhere,
Ryan
Thank you for your perspective Ryan. Again, we would never want to imply that killing a harmful creature that is posing an imminent threat to any person, child or adult, or even beloved pet should be viewed senseless. Perceived threats are different from actual threats. We are merely voicing an opinion, that of our editorial staff, that education cannot begin too young. Granted the one year old daughter might not be able to comprehend the difference between sparing the life of a Great Golden Digger Wasp and killing one, but at some point, people do need to learn that many beneficial creatures have defense mechanisms and they need to be respected. It is impossible to kill every single perpetrator of a potential insect or arthropod attack without obliterating all life on this planet. We personally believe that mankind is moving in that direction and even the tiniest gesture toward the respect for any life may result in the grandest of gestures in the future. We hope our belief has not soured you to WTB?
One more thing Ryan: Your email has inspired us to create a new tag: The Big 5 or Five Potentially Dangerous “Bugs”
Bugman,
I’m glad to have been an inspiration! Thanks for hearing me out.
I love your website… saw this wasp in my garden this morning on my orange mint. A little scary looking since I don’t like wasps, but very non-aggressive. I have had a shortage of bees this year for some reason, so happy to have any pollinators!
Saw my first one this year in my garden…1-3/4 inches long, drinking nectar from my mint plants. It wasn’t aggressive so I let it….bee
They are not at all an aggressive species. Only social wasps tend to be aggressive.